Wild Swimming River, Lake, Lido, Sea |  |
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There are over 1300 EU designated inland bathing waters in France and more than 1900 in Germany compared to just 12 in the UK - yet we seem to experience approximately the same rate of drowning. Banning swimming doesn't keep people from drowning. Cold water experience and education saves lives.
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| Picture of the week 16 05 2013 |
Video of the month - May 2013 |
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| Wild Swimming in Finland |
Wild Swimming: Aberdovey, Wales |
Hung Out to DrySwimming and British Culture |
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2012 RevisionOnce you have swum in the great outdoors and tasted the forbidden fruits of open-air wild swimming, the indoor pool seems both stifling and restrictive. Often featured in newspapers and magazines, modern day wild swimming is regaining popularity in the UK. Alice Roberts and Robson Green brought the wild swimming adventure into our homes through television, but the revival really began in 1999 with Roger Deakin's celebrated wild swimming book; Waterlog. Before the construction of swimming pools during the industrial revolution, all swimmers swam in the wild. Refreshing, invigorating and healthful though it was wild swimmers were chased out of open water and restricted indoors. As attitudes have continued to changed, wild swimmers living near cities often struggle to find a nearby place to swim outdoors, without censure. Although in the golden age of swimming public facilities were constructed on riversides canals lakes and at the seaside, modern-day swimming restrictions make life difficult for the would-be wild swimmer. Wild Swimming by Daniel Start, and Kate Rew's: Wild Swim, are excellent guide books directing us to popular if isolated swimming holes across the UK, but Hung Out to Dry questions: why should we have to travel? It shows why British attitudes have hardened towards wild swimming when, after all, the sport re-surfaced right here in Britain some 400 years ago sparking change worldwide. Discover why British attitudes today are worlds apart from our European and American cousins. More... |
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"Chris Ayriss is one of those gifted, passionate writers with a unique talent for composing prose that is inherently meaningful to swimmers. He researched swimming over the course of a decade and subsequently penned Hung Out To Dry, the story of British swimming that delves deeply in its history and social implications. Hung Out To Dry is a great book for swimmers and those who enjoy viewing society from a specific perspective....from the water's edge." Open Water Source "A persuasive book... intriguing from the outset, a fascinating chronology of British swimming which goes much deeper than one might expect. The author's passion for open water swimming is evident throughout and undeniably admirable. Well researched and interestingly written... the historical ebb and flow of swimming popularity is quite remarkable." November 2012 Swimming Times |
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Hung Out to Dry examines the checkered history of British wild swimming, from the zeal of the conquering Romans; through years of religious and superstitious intolerance; to the health and safety obsessions of today. The seaside holiday sparked the introduction of swimming costumes, beach fashion and body consciousness. The construction of lidos countrywide improved the nation's health whilst introducing the sunshine and sunbathing era. Chapter six focuses on the social history of swimming in the city of Leicester and the influence that Leicester personalities such as Daniel Lambert, Thomas Cook and Jennie Fletcher have had on the swimming world. Discover how a clash of culture changed British swimming from an animated, outdoor, playful activity, mostly enjoyed by working class boys, into a very competitive sport, confined predominantly to man-made indoor pools. This history of British swimming sheds new light on the development of British culture, conveying insight and understanding as to the growth of our current prejudice towards wild swimmers. Discover how, despite restrictions, the desire to escape to the wild is propelling swimmers beyond the walls of the swimming pool, to return to swimming in the wild. Be inspired! "...a fascinating book ...very readable, informative and entertaining... excellent illustrations. Leicester Mercury "This captivating book exposes for the first time the dramatic impact that swimmers have had on British morals and culture... Swimmers used to be common in the lakes and waterways of England. How were these sportsmen chased out of the great outdoor waters, and relocated to indoor swimming pools? Discover how pride turned to prejudice as swimmers sparked the development of British Prudery." Cornwall Today |
 2,000 Remarkable Years |
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From the Author:
I love to swim in the great outdoors, the cool water, the scenery and the adventure of discovering new places to swim. Yet as a child I was constantly reminded of the danger of swimming in rivers and lakes. With my ears I heard the warning but with my eyes I saw only joy on swimmers faces and no hint of harm ever coming to them. When the late Roger Deakin put Waterlog into print I was already writing the wild swimmers history; Hung Out to Dry. Disturbed by the wealth of swimming restrictions in my home city of Leicester, I decided to investigate the motive for discrimination and the prejudice wild swimmers were facing. I lost the ability to read at the age of eight, the result of concussion and the vinegar and brown paper treatment of the sixties. The combination of dyslexia and learning again how to read kept me out of grammar school and led me along a non academic path. In fact Hung Out to Dry began in an adult literacy class and its research and writing has been a great challenge. Once written my troubles really began as I discovered just how hard it is to find a publisher, yet even when an offer was secured, the cost of reproducing the photographs, many of which come from the Hulton Getty archive, meant that I would be out of pocket to the tune of thousands of pounds even if the book sold well. In the end I decided to publish it myself, and with help Hung Out to Dry is finally in print. I am delighted that you have read this far into my webpage. Thank you for visiting and for your interest in wild swimming and British culture. There are many around the world that share my passion for swimming in the great outdoors, and I thank everyone that has taken the plunge, bought this book and shared in my discoveries. I hope you decide to join them. Buy-now "...the whole story makes for a fascinating social history." Bristol Evening Post. |
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Wild Swimmers are advised that there is, and always has been, a public right of navigation on our riversA new company has been set up to help canoeists and swimmers enjoy the pleasures of our rivers through river access - for all. There are estimated to be 42,700 miles of river in the U.K. but only 1,400 have a clear and undisputed right of public access. To remedy the problem a concerted effort is being made to overcome harassment and prejudice by enforcing the law. To visit the website click on the image below…
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Wild Swimming, one of fifty things children should do before they are twelve (National Trust) |
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According to the National Trust, children need to get outdoors. One of the 50 activities they recommend is Wild Swimming. Take a look...  |
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Lake Windermere Attracts Swimmers in their Thousands |
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Attitudes towards swimming outdoors (wild swimming) have been shaped by our rich and eventful history. Yet with the remarkable achievements of David Walliams who raised over two million pounds for Sport Relief with his eight day 140 miles swim of the Thames, swimmers are increasingly turning their attention outdoors. Lake Windermere in the Lake District is described by the BBC as "cold, dark and dangerous." Yet it sites traditional pool swimmer: Graeme Sutton as an open water swimming convert. 'He was happy with his view of tiles at the bottom of the pool and had no desire to swap it for an expanse of open water.' He says: "Two years ago I would have said there's absolutely no appeal whatsoever, It's cold, it's damp, you feel horrible. Or at least that's what my thoughts were - until I went in." He liked it so much that, in 2011, he embarked upon the challenge of swimming all 16 of the Lake District lakes in 16 days. As the tide turns in favor of open water swimming, recreational swimmers are increasingly attracted by the freedom, fun and adventure of swimming in the wild as opposed to the confines of a swimming pool. Perhaps as time passes Britain may re-emerge as the nation of swimmers we once were. David Walliams may turn out to be a modern day Matthew Webb, but that is another story… |
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The Indoor swimming pool could be making you sick |
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"extremely interesting and informative ...a useful reference tool and an entertaining read." Soar Magazine |
Researcher Dr. Alfred Bernard is a professor of toxicology at the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels and one of the world's leading researchers on aquatic environments. He has published a series of studies documenting the effects of chlorine and its byproducts in swimming pools. According to Bernard's studies, swimming in indoor, chlorinated pools during childhood has been shown to reduce levels of serum inhibin B and total testosterone, both indicators of sperm count and mobility. Bernard has also substantiated a link between swimming in indoor chlorinated pools and the development of asthma and recurrent bronchitis in children. A 2007 study, conducted by Bernard, showed airway and lung permeability changes in children who had participated in an infant swimming group.
But these risks could be drastically reduced. "It's a public education thing," Blatchley said. "Swimmers and the general public need to recognize that there's a link between their hygiene habits and the health of everyone who uses the pool." Next time you head to the pool do your part, and hit showers before you hit the water, everyone will be better off for it. Alternatively try wild swimming in clean, fresh, running water |
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The History of Swimming in LeicesterWild swimming is not about freezing cold water; it's about the joy of swimming in the great outdoors, breaking free from the indoor swimming pool and returning to swim in the wild. British culture has taken the fun out of swimming; swimmers have been imprisoned at indoor pools for far too long. Wild swimming means breaking free from convention, escaping to the outdoors and returning to beautiful surroundings, to water that sparkles with sunlight, and the exhilaration and freshness of pure living water. |
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"Very readable and a must for advocates of outdoor swimming." Bryn Dymott